Coaches who follow in the debris-littered wake of Tyrone Willingham don't tend to fare well; just ask Buddy Teevens and Charlie Weis. But apparently Steve Sarkisian is willing to give it a shot, as ESPN and the Seattle Times are both reporting that his ascension to the head coaching position with the Washington Huskies is all but a done deal (ESPN broke the story). Why would a man who had the good sense to turn down the Oakland Raiders agree to coach a sports team in Seattle? The answers remain shrouded in mystery.

The Huskies may make it official at a news conference on Sunday, said a well-placed source. And they had hoped that the news would wait until then. An ESPN report broke the news about 6:30 p.m. Neither Sarkisian nor Washington athletic director Scott Woodward would confirm the report when talking later with reporters.

But a former player, who had spoken with a UW official, said the report was merely a little early and that both sides had hoped to wait until each team completed its season — USC plays UCLA Saturday in a game the Trojans need to win to take the Pac-10 title. "It wasn't supposed to get out yet," the former player said.

Hey, former Saskatchewan Roughriders love a challenge, I guess. But you have to wonder where this leaves USC, who lost Norm Chow in 2005, and now this. Next offensive coordinator: Will Ferrell?